Conventionally, a system has been known in which a handheld game apparatus performs an automatic communication with another handheld game apparatus that is present within a communicable range, and thereby a character registered in the another game apparatus appears in the game apparatus.
A main object of the present technology is to provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and an information processing method that are capable of appropriately controlling the timing at which an object is caused to appear in an information processing apparatus, which object corresponds to another information processing apparatus that is present within a predetermined range around the information processing apparatus.
The above object is achieved by configuration examples as follows.
A first configuration example is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for causing a computer of an information processing apparatus having a communication function to execute a reception process, a determination process, an object control process, and a display control process. In the reception process, object data is received from another unspecified information processing apparatus which is present within a predetermined range, by using the communication function. In the determination process, it is determined whether a predetermined object appearance condition is satisfied, after the reception of the object data. In the object control process, an object corresponding to the received object data is caused to appear in a virtual world, in response to that the object appearance condition is satisfied. In the display control process, an image of the virtual world is displayed on the display device.
The information processing apparatus is typically a handheld game apparatus, but is not limited thereto, and may be any information processing apparatus (e.g., a mobile phone, a notebook personal computer, a stationary game apparatus, a desktop personal computer, etc.).
In the reception process, the object data may be directly received from the another unspecified information processing apparatus, or the object data may be received via the Internet, a mobile phone network, or the like. In the case where the object data is received via the Internet, a mobile phone network, or the like, the another unspecified information processing apparatus existing within the predetermined range around the information processing apparatus (e.g., within a predetermined distance from the information processing apparatus) may be detected by utilizing a mechanism for detecting the position of the information processing apparatus (e.g., a GPS, a location information service using information of access points, or the like.).
The object data is data for characterizing the object caused to appear in the virtual world by the object control process, and is typically data representing the appearance of the object. The object data is not limited to the appearance data, but may be data representing the name or the like of the object.
The object may be a character that simulates a human, or any other object.
The object appearance condition may be a condition regarding time.
The object appearance condition may be that a predetermined time elapses from the reception of the object data.
In the reception process, present position information may be received from the another information processing apparatus together with the object data. The present position information represents the position of a player object in the virtual world, which player object is operated by a player of the another information processing apparatus. The information processing program may cause the computer to further execute a determination process of determining the predetermined time, based on the present position information received together with the object data.
In the object control process, the object may be caused to appear in a predetermined area in the virtual world. In the determination process, the predetermined time may be determined based on the positional relationship between the position indicated by the present position information received together with the object data, and the predetermined area.
In the determination process, the longer the distance between the position indicated by the present position information received together with the object data and the predetermined area is, the longer the predetermined time may be determined.
The object corresponding to the received object data may be an object that is automatically controlled in the virtual world by the computer.
In the object control process, the object may be caused to appear in a predetermined area in the virtual world, in response to that the object appearance condition is satisfied. Even when the predetermined area is displayed on the display device by the display control process, if the object appearance condition is not satisfied, the object may not be displayed on the display device.
The information processing program may be stored in any computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disc, magneto-optical disc, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, semiconductor memory card, ROM, RAM, etc.).
A second configuration example is an information processing apparatus having a communication function. The information processing apparatus includes a reception section, a determination section, an object control section, and a display control section. The reception section receives object data from another unspecified information processing apparatus which is present within a predetermined range, by using the communication function. The determination section determines whether a predetermined object appearance condition is satisfied, after the reception of the object data. The object control section causes an object corresponding to the received object data to appear in a virtual world, in response to that the object appearance condition is satisfied. The display control section displays an image of the virtual world on the display device.
A third configuration example is an information processing system having a communication function. The information processing system includes a reception section, a determination section, an object control section, and a display control section. The reception section receives object data from another unspecified information processing apparatus which is present within a predetermined range, by using the communication function. The determination section determines whether a predetermined object appearance condition is satisfied, after the reception of the object data. The object control section causes an object corresponding to the received object data to appear in a virtual world, in response to that the object appearance condition is satisfied. The display control section displays an image of the virtual world on the display device.
A fourth configuration example is an information processing method executed in an information processing system having a communication function. The information processing method includes: executing a reception process of receiving object data from another unspecified information processing apparatus which is present within a predetermined range, by using the communication function; executing a determination process of determining whether a predetermined object appearance condition is satisfied, after the reception of the object data; executing an object control process of causing an object corresponding to the received object data to appear in a virtual world, in response to that the object appearance condition is satisfied; and executing a display control process of displaying an image of the virtual world on the display device.
According to the present technology, it is possible to appropriately control the timing to cause an object to appear, which object corresponds to another information processing apparatus that is present within a predetermined range.